Guwahati, July 2 -- Arathi Menon

Researchers at Nagaland University have identified two stingless bee species -Tetragonula iridipennisSmith andLepidotrigona arciferaCockerell - as efficient pollinators that could significantly boost polyhouse farming in India. Their study found these bees successfully pollinated about 10 crops under greenhouse conditions, including chilli, cucumber, watermelon, and pumpkin.

Avinash Chauhan, principal investigator (AICRP Honeybees & Pollinators), explains: "Stingless bees have a limited range of 50-100 metres and tolerate heat up to 40degC. In contrast, the rock bee (Apis dorsata), a major pollinator in open fields, has a much wider range and cannot be confined to polyhouses."

Their stingless nature and...